Garter clasp



Jury 22 1924.`

y, 1,502,011 J. P. BAUMGARTNER 1- GAMER CLASPl Filed Aug. 2S, 1922 Patented July 22, 1924.

Josnrn r. BAUMGARTNER, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GARTER CLASP.

Application led August 26, V1922. Serial No. 584,474.

means for a buttonhole'member applicable generally'to members of this character.

A further purpose is to provide a keeper for the clasp member to hold 'it in ,position upon the supporting strap and'capable of being snapped into position and lout of position.

A Further purposes will appear in the specilication and in the claims.

I have preferred'to illustrate my inven` tion by but one form, selecting a form which has proved to be highly practical, effectivev and quite inexpensive and which at the same time well illustrates the principles involved. Figurel is a front elevation of a garter with the parts in unclasped position.

Figure 2 isa front elevation with thev parts in clasped position and with a stocking in place. Y f i Figure 3 isa section uponline 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section upon line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section upon line 5 5of Fig- V ure 3.

i form 'of clasp Vcan evidently Figure 6 is a section upon line 6 6 of lz-"igurel 3. I Y 1 Figures 7 and 8 are perspectives of the clasp member and keeper respectively.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention upon a'corset garter, though the same be used upon any other form of depending garters, such as a mans garter,'intended to grip the fabric of a garment such as a stocking.

In such garters there is provided a depending strap member l() which in the case of a corset garter carries an adjusting buckle 11 and a doublev loop bar 12 upon `whose lower loop, 13 theclasp straps 14 and 15 are secured. Y

The clasp straps are ordinarily formed of double strapfmaterial turned upon itself at 16 and 17, having an unbroken section about the bar at 18 and having the two hends terminating at the underside of thek bar atV 19 where they are attached by stitching 20. 4

The inner strap carries a preferably transl versely directed and outwardly projecting oval button 21 which is mounted upon a plate 22 located between the two thicknesses of the strap fabric, Vthe button` passing through an opening in the' front of the fabric.' The buttonis notched at 23.

Though features of the button construction were invented by` me it is not my intention to claim them inthis, application.

The clasp member comprises primarily a turnable button-hole member 24 having an oval aperture 25 which registers with the oval-button and, in the open position has its long axis transverse to .the length of the strap.v AIt interlocks l. with the Voval button and in the closed position of the fastener,

the longer aXis lies parallel to the strap. vThis clasp member carries operating knobs 26; I i

As these parts are made of jcelluloid there has been difficulty-in the past in fastening the button-hole memberin position upon the Y preferably metal bearing plate 27, within which andupon which the button hole member turns; l

This bearing plate is bestshown in Figure 5 and is held in place upon the outside ofthe outer strap by teeth 28 clinched after penetrating both thicknesses of the fabric.

The button-hole member` and bearing plate make stop and resilient latch engagement with one anotherl at the clasped and at the open positions. At each end of the 9()o arc 29, the inwardly projecting knob 30 of the button-hole'member makes stop engagement with the bearing plate simultaneously with registry and y'resilient interfitting of the projection A31 upon the bearing plate' into one or other of the sockets 32 and 33 within the bearing Vface of the button-hole member.

The button-hole member is held resiliently to the bearing plate by means ofl a Celluloid washer fastened to the tubular shank 34 of the button-hole member inside the outer strap.

ln the past it has been difficult to fasten a celluloid Yasher in place and in the best form of the prior art known to me, such a washer has been secured to the outer circumference of a tubular shank by cementing it thereto upon'the under side of the strap.

rlhis prior form is defective in thatit takes a relatively long time to make the cemented joints, in that the joints are fre quently weak from inadequate cement-ing, and in that their permanent character prevents easy inspection of parts beneath the washer where poor other construction is suspected.

l remedy all these defects and at the same time secure the requisite stability and resilience to press the bearing plate and the button-hole member together by grooving the tubular shank 34- at 36 and snapping into the groove the resilient inward projections 37 of the washer 38. rllhis washer is radially slotted as at 89 at intervals about its inner circumference to form these inwardly directed resilient fingers.

The hold between this washer and the tubular shank of the button-hole member has proved quite effective, is applicable generally to retaining members of this character, the

' parts canbe put together ina fraction of a second and the washer may 'be easily and quickly removed and replaced for rapid inspection of parts beneath the washer.

In operation the fabric el() of the stocking is held'by locking it between the button and button-hole members, as seen in Figures 2 and 3.

l recognize that in view of my disclosure others skilled in the art will probably see modifications and changes by which Vthey may obtain all or a part of the benefit of my invention without copying it and itl is my desire to secure herein all such mr'idifications as come within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims,

Having thus described my invention Vwhat l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is f g` 1. .ln a garter clasp. a turnable buttonhole member having a projection about the button-hole opening and a circumferential groove upon the projection in combination with a washer having an interior ldiameter smaller than the projection adapted to fit into the groove and divided radially near the inner circumference to permit the inner part to yield laterally so as to pass over the end of the projectionr and subsequently toA spring into t-he groove.

2. A detachable and turnable clasp member comprising a button-hole member having an'opening therethrough of elongated cross section and a rearward projection about the opening of' circular cross section grooved about its circumference, in combination with a washer of smaller internal diameter than the projection and adapted to yield laterally so as to pass over the projection and to spring back to enter the groove.

- 3. In a garter clasp, a button-hole member having a turnable front portion and a -cylindrical hollow rear portion grooved about the circumference at the rear, a rearwardly directed projection thereon, a bearing member adapted to cooperate with the projection to limit movement of the buttonhole member, a` fabric through which the cylindrical rear portion passes and an internally resilient snap fastener adapted to pass over the rear end of the cylindrical portion andto snap into the groove.

5. ln a garter clasp, depending inner and outer straps, an outwardly projecting button fixed to the inner strap and having an undercut oval head, a 'bearing member fixed to the outer strap larger in internal diam-- eter than and in registry with the button, a turnable button-hole member upon the bearing member having an oval hole adapted to fit over the oval head and to interlock therewith by turning upon its 'axis from the position of registry, a shank upon the buttonhole member extending through'the bearing member and outer strap, and circumferentially grooved at the inner side of the outer strap, and a detachable resilient washer having separate resilient inwardly-directed portions adapted to be sprung over the shank and snapped into the groove to de- Ytachalolyhold the button-hole member in place upon the bearing member,

5. In a garter clamp-depending inner and outer straps adapted to register with one another, anE outwardlykproject-ing button fixed to the inner strapvand having an undercut oval head, a bearing member fixed to the outer strap and internally registering with and larger than the head, a turnable button-hole 'member upon the bearing member having an oval hole adapted to fit over the oval head and to interlock therewith by turning upon its axis from the position of registry, comprising a tubular shank circumferentially grooved at the inner side of the bearing and circumferentially flanged at the outer side thereof, a detachable celluloid washer having slots'spaced around its inner circumference and sprung into the groove to detachably and resiliently hold the button-hole member axially in place upon the bearing member, and interfitting parts on the flange and bearing member in registry when the button-hole member is in open position and also when in clasped position.

6. Ina garter clasp, depending inner and outer straps adapted t0 register with one llt;

having slots spaced around its inner circumference and adapted to be sprung into the groove to detac-hably and resiliently hold the button-hole member axially in place in the bearing member and longitudinally in# teritting parts on the flange and bearing member in registry when the button-hole member is in open position and also when it is in clasped position and to limit the movement of the 'button-hole member.

JOSEPH P. BAUMGARTNER. 

